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NASM – I’m Going For It!

By Mary Baum on September 26, 2012

This year has been pretty crazy for me so far. I have completed countless road races (including my 6th marathon!), was selected as a Lululemon running ambassador, crossed the finish line of my very first triathlon, and am just now entering into fall race season. Over the summer, other than marathon training, I have had something up my sleeve. My friends and family know about it, but I just wasn’t quite ready to share it on the blog. In November, I’ll be taking my test to become a NASM certified personal trainer!

I’ve been studying little by little since July, and finally signed up for my testing date last night. I am so excited about this, as I have been thinking about becoming a certified personal trainer for so long! This means it is crunch time! For the next month, I am going to be studying like crazy and getting very familiar with all of the tricky parts of my study book, which for me are some of the scientific terms.

What do I plan to do with it? I’m not 100% sure yet. I am not going to be leaving my current job at BlueGlass – no way! I love the company that I work for, and would never want to jeopardize that. I plan to be working here for many years to come. What I do know is that I plan to put more circuit and strength training workouts up on the blog to share with everyone. I love posting the ones that I have up so far, and can not wait until I have a little bit more klout behind what I am sharing with all of you. I also hope that readers start to ask me more questions about workouts and ways to get fit. Oh yeah, and I can change my disclaimer to say that I am a certified professional – once that time comes that is ;)

I chose NASM because of the forward way of thinking that it provides, along with the more scientific based approach. When I was researching on which program to go with, I really liked how NASM was known as a very challenging program. I am always up for something to give me a run for my money, and this test is no different. There is a lot of information to take in, and I have to make a conscious effort to cut out the time in my schedule to get the studying in.

I hope some of you are excited for this new phase on the blog. It will still be the same ole me on here, but now I’ll have a little bit more knowledge to back up my workouts! I’m pretty excited!

P.S. I have a guest post up today over on Ashley’s blog, Healthy Happier Bear, for her Marathons and Moderations series. Find our how to run a marathon without much motivation. Go check it out!

Is anyone else studying for NASM right now? Do you already have your certification? Have any good tips for me? ;)

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Don’t Disrespect The Taper

By Mary Baum on September 23, 2012

After completing my last really long run last weekend, I was definitely not concerned with the run I had on my schedule over the weekend. I covered 22 miles only 7 days prior, so the 12 miles I had on tap would be a cinch, right?

Oh, so very wrong. Not sure why, but it completely left my mind how bad my body feels during the taper. I was so excited to not have to spend hours running on Saturday, that I completely disrespected the distance. I was up and on my feet at Howl O Scream on Friday night (check out Meghann’s post on our awesome time there!), and had a terrible pre-run dinner as well. I expected the run to be pretty simple, but it was the hardest run I had in weeks!

My legs were still tired from last week, and I was hurting. If I had not already run 6 marathons before, I would have been seriously nervous. Why do our bodies feel so terrible during the marathon taper? It almost feels like the past couple of hard training months didn’t happen. It is super important to focus on what you have already done, and focus on the goals of the taper:

  • Decrease the fatigue you have accumulated over the past few months as you built your mileage
  • Increase glycogen stores, which actually helps to increase your muscle power in the process
  • Strengthen your immune system so you don’t get sick for race day
  • Catch up on some much-needed sleep!

The marathon taper is a fine art really. I found this simple guide, and it definitely puts everything in to perspective. Obviously, you need to reduce your mileage, take care of yourself, and resist the urge to put in extra miles and exercise.

(Source)

That is all much easier said than done, but I am doing just that! I am spending more time relaxing these next two weeks, and sleeping in has never felt so good! With less than 2 weeks to go, I am in the home stretch – the 10 day weather forecast is almost in view, and I am crossing my fingers for good race day weather!

Do you find that your taper long runs are difficult? Ever caught yourself disrespecting an otherwise easy long run the couple of weeks before your marathon?

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7 Things Not To Leave At Home On Race Day

By Mary Baum on September 21, 2012

You have prepared for weeks on end, and race day is finally in sight! Whether you are flying in from out of town, or just driving up the block, here are 7 must have things when you head down to the marathon start!

1.The most obvious, and yet, still forgotten – your shoes!

  • Make sure that you have your favorite pair of shoes with you on race day. It is very common for people to buy new shoes at the start of training. Most people do not realize, that after 16-20 weeks of high mileage training, those once new shoes may be wearing out before race day. Start breaking in a new pair of shoes 3 weeks out from race day, so they are ready to go when you toe the start line.

2. Supporters

  • 26.2 miles is quite the long way to go. If possible, bring some support with you – family, friends – really anyone with a nice loud voice. A friendly, familiar face may be exactly what you need to power through the last 10k of your race. For me, I know that my energy levels suffer around mile 22, so I like to have my sister there with an orange or banana. Make sure your supporters are familiar with the course, so they do not get lost on the way to help you!

3. An amazing attitude

  • A marathon, whether it is your first, 4th, or 50th, is going to be difficult. You are going to have to really dig down deep at times, and convince yourself that you can do it (and really do it well). Do not walk to the starting line with any doubts – trust your training, and know that your hard work will carry you to get that finisher’s medal.

4. Your Emergency Contact Information

  • Don’t forget to fill out the emergency contact information on the back of your bib! It is on there for a reason, so do yourself a favor and fill in the correct information. It is always better to be prepared, than to wish you had been. I always wear my RoadID to make sure that my emergency contact info is readily available no matter what!

5. A change of clothes

  • In your checked bag, pack a change of clothes for post race! You never know what the weather will be like (windy, rainy, chilly) and you will  want to be comfortable. After all, you just ran a long way!

6. Clothes you have ran in before!

  • Do not wear anything new on race day. Even though you really want to wear that cute new top, or that awesome pair of shorts you got the day before at the race expo, pack it away for when you get home. You  would not want months of training to be affected by a shirt seam that is rubbing you the wrong way, just because it is your favorite color

7. Sunblock

  • It is hard to think about a sunburn when you start running in darkness, but it is a real concern. When you are out on hot pavement for hours on end, you don’t want your biggest post race concern to be a sweet racerback tan you got while running 26.2! Lather up with the same sunblock you use on your training runs – you wouldn’t want it running in your eyes now, would you?! Lately I have been using Orignal Sprout sunblock. It is non-greasy, and stays out of my eyes when I get really sweaty – super important!

 

Here are a few details about the sunblock:

Free of phthalates, phytoestrogens, soy, gluten, animal products, parabens, and propylene glycol with no added dioxanes or formaldehydes.

  • Free of skin penetrators & photosensitizers (plasticizers & nanoparticles).
  • Extracts are certified organic. The majority of ingredients are plant derived & from natural sources.
  • E.U. Directive Compliant with full label disclosure of ingredients.
  • Fragrances are made with naturally derived ingredients & are certified FREE of phthalates, lavender, tea tree, PG, DPG, parabens, dioxanes, benzenes, formaldehydes, acetaldehydes, styrene, toluene, chlorobenzene & glycol ethers.
  • Products are vegetarian/vegan & biodegradable.
  • Can be purchased online at www.originalsprout.com or at a variety of health food stores & salons worldwide (not found in conventional grocery & drug store chains or big box stores).

If you would like to try the sunblock, use the code FIRST_ORDER_10-U to get 10% off!

There are so many other things that you can bring with you to the start line – everyone is different in regards to their pre race rituals. Just pick yours and stick with it!

What do you not leave without before you head to the start of a race? Share it here!

***Disclaimer: I was sent the sunblock for review. I was not paid for this post. All opinions are my own***

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6 Ways to Exercise for Free!

By Mary Baum on September 19, 2012

After seeing this article about the future of obese people in the U.S., it really got me thinking. Why? Why is this such an epidemic when so much of the outcome is in the individuals hands? (Don’t worry, I understand that it is a very real battle for a lot of people, and I am not discounting that.) A lack of physical activity is a big factor, but there are so many ways to combat it. There are many  reasons why people do not want to workout, including:

  • They work too much
  • There isn’t enough time in the day
  • They do not know how to workout
  • They can’t find any workout activities they like to do
  • It’s too expensive

I believe that all of them are definitely false, and I am here to change the view of that last one! There are more ways now than ever to find places to workout that are very inexpensive or even free! Here is a nice list of places and classes in the Tampa area that are low cost or no cost! Don’t live in Tampa? No worries – if Tampa has these amenities, I’m sure your town does to. It just takes a little bit of research, but you can definitely find it!

1. Running Groups

This is a very easy one. There are running groups all over the place – seriously, every week night in Tampa, you can find one. It is a great place to get into the sport, and a great way to meet new people. Just google your area and you are bound to find a running group or two. I am able to make time for a Monday run group at my local Lululemon store – and you should too! Our group is growing, and I would love if you came to our run group!

2. Inexpensive Gyms

In the Tampa area, we have access to Anytime Fitness, a gym that, you guessed it – you can go to ANYTIME. All you need is their nifty little key card, and you can unlock the door 24/7. They are literally never closed. They have no bells and whistles – cardio equipment and weights/machines, but it is very affordable. It only costs $35 a month, which is incredible.

Also, many cities have provided recreational centers for a very nominal fee – think $45 a quarter. Now that is a deal! The big caveat is that their hours are nowhere near as flexible, so you may not be able to get there quite as early in the morning, or stay as late as night as you may  like.

3. Free Yoga

Yoga is something that I love to partake in, but unfortunately, attending at studios does get a bit pricy. Here in Tampa, there are multiple ways to practice yoga for free! Lululemon hosts yoga every Saturday morning at their store. If the weather is nice and you would rather practice outside on Saturday, head to Ybor and do yoga in the Ybor City Museum Garden. There is also a chance for yoga on Sunday night at 6pm at Curtis Hixon park in downtown Tampa. These are only a few opportunities that I have within a few mile radius of my house. I’m sure there are some opportunities in your city too!

4. Complimentary Bootcamps, Pilates, Zumba, and the like

There are a lot of complimentary classes at the same rec centers that I mentioned above, and even at other places too! Our local Lululemon store offers a non-yoga class every Sunday, which means anything from a hard-core bootcamp, to a lengthening pilates class. Check out different health and fitness related stores in your area to find one. They might be right under your nose!

5. Crossfit

If you have been to crossfit and it is something that you love, you are not alone. The huge drawback is the hefty price tag that comes along with those workouts. There are many websites out there that post WOD’s (workout of the day) for you to use, like the Traveling WOD, and 100 Travel Workouts. There are so many workouts that you are able to do at home, so take advantage of the free sites! And don’t worry about your neighbors if they look at you funny as you  bang out a set of burpees, or some crawlers. It will be worth it when you see those results!

Pushing the prowler!

6. City Swimming Pools

I swim 3 times a week with my friends. We definitely do not pay for a pricy membership at a private pool or fancy complex. We use our city amenities, and use a pool funded by the city of Tampa. It is very affordable – based on my usage, I think it ends up being about 50 to 75 cents per visit. For real! All you need is proof of residency, and you are in. It is that easy!

Here are just a few of many ways to stay fit for a low cost or no cost! Do you have any others to add in your city – or mine?!

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The Countdown

By Mary Baum on September 17, 2012

The countdown has officially started….

Only 20 (well actually 19) days until the race, and I am so ready for it to be here! It has been a verrrryyy long training session this time around – the summer heat was pretty brutal here in Florida. All of my long runs (except for my weekend in Boston) were all done in temperatures of 80+. I feel more prepared now than ever to run a marathon in the heat, just in case it is actually hot in Chicago. Hopefully I will not have to worry about that for the race, but hey – it could happen.

My long run Saturday was no different from my others from this training – it was super hot, but I got through it. I was up crazy early to beat the heat, and tackled all 22 miles without a hitch. My hamstring was pretty tight for the first 15 miles, but then it magically loosened up. I have no idea how that happened, but I wasn’t complaining. It assured me that I will actually be able to run Chicago, and not have to worry about it really hurting. I am pretty psyched about that! Oh ya, and this big accomplishment from Saturday morning. 22 miles, done!

My training plan over the next 3 weeks has me gradually cutting back my mileage. I haven’t done any sort of speed work for the past 2 months, so I am obviously not going to be doing any sort of intervals. I will just be logging the miles at my standard 8:30 pace each week, starting with my 30ish miles planned for the next 7 days.

This is always the part of training that it is so easy to start guessing yourself. Your body is tired, you feel the fatigue setting in. And then, you start cutting back the miles. Your legs magically start feeling better, and all you want to do it throw in a few fast pace miles here and there. It is so unbelievably important not to give in to the urge to run faster. Between now and race day, any unplanned speed or excessive mileage will only hurt me, not help me, as runners see no benefits in faster/extra mileage the 3 weeks leading up to the race.

Excessive rest will hurt me too. If I were to only run 10-15 miles a week for the next three weeks, instead of my planned 30, 25, & 10 mile weeks, my body would actually start to get out of shape. Seriously. It seems crazy, but the taper really is so strategic. I plan to follow it very closely until October 7th!

Let the taper begin!!

Do you get excited for your taper to start, or do you start to get nervous when you cut your mileage back? Have you ever ignored a taper and seen bad results – or good?

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